Able Muse is pleased to announce the winners of the Write Prize for poetry & fiction (judged anonymously throughout by the Able Muse Contest Committee and the final judges, Stuart Dybek for fiction, and Patricia Smith for poetry). The winning writer and the winning poet will each receive a $500 prize.

Here is what Stuart Dybek has to say about Victoria Mlyniec's winning story:

“Passerthrough” is an artfully constructed story that within a few pages switches point of view, employs flashback in order to counterpoint past and present narratives, and introduces three convincing characters.

The winning story will be published in the Winter 2016 issue of Able Muse, print edition. (No other entry in the fiction category achieved selection for publication.)

Here is what Patricia Smith has to say about Scott Ruescher's winning poem:

I often say that poets are the most starkly talented writers because we take huge, unwieldy stories and fold them into tight, controlled spaces—but when the poem opens up, with the help of on-point lyricism or a sensory-driven progression, the whole story is there. This poem's tonal firepower is exacting, unapologetically rooted in New England badassery and etched onto an electric narrative backdrop.

POETRY RUNNER-UP:

These finalists are a good representation of the outstanding quality of the poems entered in the contest.Fran Markover - "From the School of Hard Knocks"

POETRY HONORABLE MENTION:

Colleen Carias - "Not"

- The winning, runner-up and honorable-mention poems will be published in the Winter 2016 issue of Able Muse, print edition.

POETRY SHORTLIST:

Here are the shortlisted entries, which were good indeed, and top the unusually large number of quality poems that were entered in the competition.

SUBMISSIONS:
Able Muse (print edition):
submissions read year-round. Submit now for a chance to appear in Able Muse - send your best poetry, art, fiction, essays, book reviews. The submission guidelines are available here.

Able Muse Press: submissions read during the yearly open reading period, next period is May 1 - July 15, 2017. This year's window is now closed, but prepare your manuscripts for next year's. The submission guidelines are available here.